The Analysis of the Role of Women in Othello

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English III Honors

November 2015

The Analysis of the Role of Women in Othello

Tremendous strides have occurred in regards to the feminist movement and gender equality since Venetian Society 200 years ago, however, the inferiority of women is still a disputed topic of modern discussion. The Elizabethan patriarchal society that dominated Venice 200 years ago served as a catalyst for the destruction of the main characters both male and female in Othello because of its palpable emphasis on the psychological and physiological inferiority of women. For example, during this epoch, women were expected to be silent, chaste, and subservient to their male equivalents. Their presumed disposal of these values becomes the obsession of the main characters in Othello as well as the cause of their unraveling. By examining the actions of Desdemona and Emilia in Othello as well as how they are perceived by their male counterparts, it can be stipulated that the silent, chaste, and subservient nature of these two female characters in the play constitute their role as the driving force for the demise of the main

characters.

The female characters in Othello regularly have their voices repressed by the traditional roles that are expected of them because of the obdurate patriarchal society that they reside in. Their constricted ability to defend themselves stimulates the eventual collapse of the main character, Othello, as he believes that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful to him. Desdemona often exhibits passivity when interacting with Othello, or any other male character for that matter, and is criticized in numerous literary analyses for her silent nature. One paper notes that she “is helplessly passive. She can do nothing whatever. She cannot retaliate even in her speech; no, not even in silent speech” (Neely, Women and Men in Othello). Her inability to defend herself vocally as the ensual of a male dominated society expedites the destruction of

Othello because as he questions her fidelity, she is incapable of mitigating his anxiety by asserting her

faithfulness. In contrast, while Desdemona is silent primarily because of her obsequious nature, Emilia is silent in public, but articulates her reflections about her inferior role in society in privacy with Desdemona. Emilia asservates thoughts harmonious with an egalitarian society and even “suggests that men are brutish and simplistic, unable to control their desires with logical thought...but does not express such opinions in the company of men” (The Role of Women in Othello: A Feminist Reading). She acknowledges her proper place in society, but still cannot control her opinions of the contrary. In the privacy of her room with Desdemona, she once noted:

“Let husbands know

Their wives have senses like them; they see and smell, And have their palates both for sweet and sour

As husbands have”

(4.3.92­5) Emilia is indisputably the most feminist character in Othello and this is demonstrated by her thoughts in regards to gender equality. Her silence in public, however, overrides her vehemence in private and is thus the driving force in her initial incapability to defend herself and Desdemona in a manner that is capable of saving their lives.

In addition to the silent nature of women, the female characters in Othello are also expected to be chaste figures that are viewed as objects to be utilized in the orchestration of male intentions. Whenever their chastity is in question, the female characters receive verbal abuse from their male counterparts which, throughout the duration of the play, eventually leads to physical abuse and even murder. For example, when Othello is coerced into believing that Desdemona has disposed her values of chastity, he feels that he must kill her, a deed that will serve as “a sacrifice which is also a murder” (Neely, Women

and Men in othello). His obsession with chastity thus leads both to his destruction as well as the demise of his wife, Desdemona, and while he is still in love with her beauty, he feels that the blackness of her soul

must be killed as a sacrifice. He once noted, “O, thou black weed, why art so lovely fair?” (4.2.69), which demonstrates how his admiration of Desdemona's beauty is tainted by her discardment of chastity. Additionally, both Emilia and Desdemona are repeatedly referred to as “whores” and “strumpets” throughout their play, “yet it appears that neither of them are guilty...of prostitution” (The Role of Women in Othello: A Feminist Reading). Furthermore, in Venetian Society during this time, women’s inferior

role was further emphasized by the way in which their male counterparts used them for their plotting. One paper noted, “the feelings of Desdemona and Emilia are completely disregarded in his [Iago’s] plotting. The women are merely objects to be used in order to further his own desires” (The Role of WOmen in Othello; A Feminist Reading). While Iago devises a plan to bring about the unraveling of Cassio and Othello, he uses Desdemona and Emilia as pawns in the orchestration of his plot, disregarding their emotions as humans.

As well as being silent and chaste, women were also expected to be obsequious beings subservient to their husband’s wishes. Desdemona, for example, is the epitome of the servile and tyrannized women seen in the Elizabethan patriarchal society and even declares herself that “I am obedient.” (3.3.89). She never questions her “lord” and obeys him during his exhibition as a congenial character, and also through his stages of envious rage. Thus, it is her own obedience that leads to her eventual demise because she is incapable of repudiating Othello even as he becomes violent and satanic. Additionally, in the final scene of the play, Emilia exhibits her strength as a female character by revealing the malevolent intentions of Iago. As he urges her to stop talking and return home, she apologizes and

says “Tis proper I obey him, but not now” (5.2.195). Even though Emilia is deviating from her customary role as a female in a patriarchal society, she feels that she needs to explain why she does so. As the play comes to a close, however, there is an indication that the female characters begin to challenge their subservient nature in society. Thus, the refusal of the superiority of men makes “it... clear that the actions

and language of Shakespeare’s three female characters, although seemingly subservient, signifies a tentative step towards an egalitarian society (Women and Men in Othello).

Through the analysis of Desdemona and Emilia in Othello, it can be concluded that their silent, chaste, and subservient roles as women serve as a catalyst for the eventual demise of the main characters. Towards the end of the play, however, the strength of the female characters emerge, but it appears to be too little, too late. Thier silent and obsequious nature prevents them from denouncing the abuse they receive from the male characters in the play as their fidelity is questioned and they are seen as objects. The role of women in Othello serves as a reflection of the inferiority of women in Venetian Society 200 years ago. Although advancements have occurred in gender equality since this time period, women are still considered subsidiary to males in many parts of the world. Thus the egalitarian society that Emilia’s speech indicated is not yet here, however improvements in regard to the treatment of women have occurred.

Works Cited Page

Shakespeare, William, and Norman Sanders. Othello. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1984. Print.

"The Role of Women in Othello: A Feminist Reading." Literary Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct.

2015.Web.

Neely, Carol Thomas. "Women and Men in Othello." William Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 79­104. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott.Vol. 68. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Web. 5 Nov. 2015